BB Girls are ready for a new beginning.
Formerly known as Brave Girls, the K-pop group comprising Minyoung, Youjoung, Eunji and Yuna have made a comeback on the music scene with a new name, label and song.
The four-member band released One More Time on August 3, their first single under Warner Music Korea after signing with the company in April. The jump to the label, a subsidiary of the American conglomerate Warner Music, was something the group say they were very much looking forward to.
“For our group’s new identity, we believe communication is truly important,” says Minyoung. “For this album, both Warner Music Korea and members have jointly participated in every step of the process to create something that shows all four of our colours.”
In addition to a new label, they also had to think of a new group name. The members say BB Girls encapsulates who they are and who they want to be.
“We chose a new group name that will be familiar to both the public and our fans, as we have a history,” says Youjoung. “Our name also conveys a special meaning, as BB stands for ‘breaking barriers’, which I feel is an important message for our group.”
The band debuted in 2011 with the single album The Difference under Brave Entertainment, but have undergone several changes in their more than 10 years on the music scene – including no longer having any original members.
However, the current members of BB Girls were part of Brave Girls’ most famous hit – their song Rollin’ unexpectedly went viral in 2021, four years after it was first released.
This was in part thanks to a compilation video of the band performing for the South Korean military, which became very popular. At the time, the group were considering whether to disband but decided against it after their luck changed.
“We will be forever thankful for that moment; it was a miraculous gift for all of us,” says Eunji.
They also won a number of awards that year including Best Artist Award – Singer at the Asia Artist Awards, Artist of the Year (Bonsang) at The Fact Music Awards, and Best Female Artist at the Korea Broadcasting Awards.
As their contracts ended with Brave Entertainment earlier this year, they released the song Goodbye in February as a parting message to fans – though promising the disbandment was only temporary. Only two months later, they signed with their new label while reintroducing themselves as BB Girls.
Now the band turns their focus to One More Time, for which they've just released a new dance video. They hope their fans will stick with them on their new journey.
“I hope fans will look out for every single aspect for this comeback, from the music video, choreography, visuals and more. We worked hard on every detail,” says Eunji.
Although it still feels early to figure out what is next, the group say they are always willing to take a risk especially when it comes to partnering with other acts or perhaps even going back on tour.
“We’d like to constantly try new things to show new sides of BB Girls,” says Yuna. “We are always open for any opportunities for collaboration or tours.”
For some, matching previous success can be difficult because of the high expectations. However, BB Girls say they are ready for the opportunity and are perhaps hoping for a little bit of that luck again.
“As it is our new beginning, BB Girls' goal is to clearly find and show our group’s distinct colour to people,” she says. “For a specific career goal, maybe we could say this year’s Rookie Award?”
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
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Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
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EXPATS
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